Age of Empires 3 Discussions...

[deathvirus_me]

Personally I like AOE 2 and RON more than this one. I just hope they don't mess up with RON legends as they did with AOE 3. I'm eagerly awaiting for its release. Till then RON and AOE 2 rock.

Why the hell do you think that they messed up AoE 3 ??? personally i find it great ... graphically its very soothing .....

[usmayur]

Originally Posted by deathvirus_me

Why the hell do you think that they messed up AoE 3 ??? personally i find it great ... graphically its very soothing .....

Well, I don't give that much importance to graphics. Gameplay and realism are must. AOE 3 takes a lot out of micromanagement which AOE 2 fans loved about it. eg now citizens don't drop resources at mill but it is automatically collected. The music isn't great either. Microsoft has been working on this title for quite some time now. Wonder why they didn't notice reasons for AOE 2 success.
That's why they messed it up.

[icecoolz]

Well I dont get it. So what if the villagers dont drop resources in the towns ? It only means that the game play has greater things to focus on. One thing which I noticed is that the AI is much more aggressive even on easy settings. Which leaves you to focus on the combat and strategies. Which is a main reason for a win in RON. RON focuses so much on combat that micro management takes a back stage. The days of amassing a big resource and then big army is gone. You need to balance your attack/defense strategies. This is the way going forward with most RTS games.

[usmayur]

Is there any problem, if we have to concentrate on both micromanagement of resources and battle. It will make it more challenging and hence more satisfactory. That's my point.

[GunshotSilence]

i personally think ron is the best.

it has both micromanagmnt and combat.

u gott build cities and a set no of buildings for each like university, library(as backup in case of nuke attack on capital), mines, smelters, wonders, and also defense buildings like AA,towers,forts, barracks, stable and seige factory. so there is plenty of micromanagment. and plus u hafta conquer cities and hold them and manage ur big AF and navy too. or else they wont be siitng duck but siiting idle doing nothing. unles attacked first.

micromanagemt for economies is to send scout scouting , merchants and caravans, and tap all resources b4 the prices of researches and army goes up.

and it has cool grpahics(especially nuking ones) and realistic game play to play all human history in under 30 mins. i defeated the opponent with bantu tribe in 20 mins at moderate in deathmatch.

[mako_123]

guys

when i start AOE 3 . My computer restarts , is there a problem with the graphics drivers .

My config is 2.8 HT , 512 Ram , Ge force 6200 .

[icecoolz]

Originally Posted by usmayur

Is there any problem, if we have to concentrate on both micromanagement of resources and battle. It will make it more challenging and hence more satisfactory. That's my point.

Increasingly that is not the case. The focus is more on battle and hence the tactics. Micro management can only get you so much. The days of being defensive, building large armies and the attacking are long gone.

[GunshotSilence]

hey guys, just to test i disabled my graphics card and re-enabled my 810e onboard chipset and connected my monitor to the onboard chipset. and restarted the system.

i ran age of empires 3 on my old 810e chipset with 256mb ram and p3 933 mghz and guess what?
IT RAN. YES IT RAN. BUT THE GRPAHICS WERE POOR. could see units but not muhc of explored land.

defeated the damn spanish.

so u see the games min req is still low. but if u want to the see the mind blowing graphics u need, a fast pc and grpahics card. but u can play it on a p3 too. with onboard graphics.

[prathap_lab]

hi,
AOE 3 demo has been released. it is 365MB. it is available at:
http://www.ageofempires3.com/

i played, it is very nice. in campaign it has 2 levels and in skirmish it has 2 maps. only 2 civilizations are available in demo version(spanish & british). you can even check the release date in "AOE press" link on the website mentioned above.

its sys. req. are high.
try it.

thank you.

[GunshotSilence]

were u born today?
cause the game demo came 3 weeks ago and i got it and played it full 2 weeks ago

and even posted a review here
and u r posting about it now

[usmayur]

It has more than 2 maps. Just keep on playing skirmish and u will get different maps

[navjotjsingh]

Originally Posted by Age of Empires 3 Official NewsLetter

Age of Empires 3 should be on store shelves October 18th in the U.S. Ensemble Studios will also be shipping the biggest, most content-rich Collector's Edition that we've ever created. Quantities are limited, but you can pre-order yours now at www.ebgames.com or www.gamestop.com.

Check out what's going on in Age of Empires at our brand new community site www.agecommunity.com and while you are there check out the downloads sections to get the latest demo!

What's New

Age of Empires Collector's Edition available for pre-order

Age Community Site goes live

New demo released for Age of Empires 3

Immerse yourself in the greatest strategy experience ever, the Age of Empires 3 Collector's Edition. The limited special set includes the exclusive hard bound book "The Art of Empires", six other prized possessions to take with you in your conquest of the New World.

* Age of Empires III (Windows XP)
Command one of eight mighty European powers grappling to conquer the New World. Gain wealth and power from your home country and colonize vast, uncharted territory.
* The Art of Empires
Hard-bound book showcasing the in-game art, creative concepts that inspired Ensemble Studios and the magnificent paintings of Craig Mullins.
* Soundtrack
The epic orchestration featured in the Age of Empires III game.
* The Making of Age of Empires III DVD
Insider's peek at the world of Ensemble Studios, including interviews with team members and a behind the scenes look at how the game was made.
* Demo Disc
Seek new challengers by sharing the empire with a friend
* Poster
Full color, 43" x 27" - created exclusively for Age of Empires III by Craig Mullins
* Player's Guide
Master the survival skills needed to stake your claim in the New World. Manual and Quick Reference Card also included.

Pre-order yours now at www.ebgames.com or www.gamestop.com.


Ensemble Studios has launched a major new community site for Age of Empires fans. The focus of the site is to provide an official Ensemble Studios web location for Age of Empires fans to get the latest news and share information with other players. The site went live on September 30th. The Features include:

* All the latest Age news
* Exclusive interviews and insight into Ensemble Studios and Age of Empires
* Downloadable content, patches: a repository of official Age of Empires III downloads
* Age of Empires III statistics pages
* Community forums

We invite you to stop by and check it out at www.AgeCommunity.com

An updated demo of Age of Empires 3 is planned for release the week of October 10th. Updates to the demo include:

* An optional minimized UI
* A tutorial
* Lots of miscellaneous bug fixes

[damnthenet]

I love strategy games. But my computer can't afford to play this game. The system requirements are quite advanced!

[yourharry]

hi everyone, i too like aoe very much. but i wont play the demo as its not enough for me.

Edit: [Enoonmai]: Please do not encourage piracy or post information on where to get pirated stuff. Further talks on piracy will merit a Warning tag.

[nitish_mythology]

All the versions of AOE are cool. I loved Age of mythology the most. Hope this game satisfy the need of all gamers that love strategy games!!!!

[Dipen01]

Well.. my favourite is AOE II havent tried AOE III as my systems doesn't support it.... well even Rise of Nations was good...

[Yoda]

The game is out and it comes in 3 CDs for PC. I will try the game soon.

[vignesh]

Waiting to get my hands on it.Hope Digit gives the demo.

[shaunak]

just tried aoe 3 demo my reveiw:
+runs on low ens systems [2ghz ,384mb ram,intel 865 onboard gfx card]
+no or little learning curve: even if u havent played any of the aoe series you shud b able to manage.
+great grafix even on low end systems
cant w8 to get my paws on it.

[icecoolz]

ok finished the game. I was disappointed with the story line. Somehow did not feel like AOE game at all. And the modes are a lil strange. Easy mode is tooooooooooo easy. Hard mode is a nightmare. There isnt an even distribution. Some more things. The mounted cavalry is pretty useless. I completed the game with ground forces (shooters mainly) and the artillery. A lot of the units seem redundant. The game does look gorgeous and the havok engine is damn good when it comes to realistic physics, still I thin AOEII was way better than this.

[usmayur]

Originally Posted by icecoolz

Increasingly that is not the case. The focus is more on battle and hence the tactics. Micro management can only get you so much. The days of being defensive, building large armies and the attacking are long gone.

He he he
Now wat view abt AOE 3 since u were a staunch supporter of battle and tactics. Now u say AOE 2 was way better. Maintain a stand.

[jamyang312]

Will it work on a P3 machine with SIS620???
What all are the games that might work on it??

[icecoolz]

Originally Posted by usmayur

He he he
Now wat view abt AOE 3 since u were a staunch supporter of battle and tactics. Now u say AOE 2 was way better. Maintain a stand.

Did I say that AOE2 was better because of Micro Management ? Yes the focus is on battles in AOE3 however the levels of game play in AOE 3 is what I had an issue with it. Easy is way too easy and hard is very very hard. Also the balance in terms of units was the problem. With the ranged shooters, it almost made the halebriders redundant. Even th cavalry was lame against the shooters. Infact I still needed to micro manage neways. Esp with the cards which I had to send from my towns. Your stand is that AOE 3 will suck becos we dont have micro management. And honestly speaking u cannot focus on Micro management in AOE3. The battles at times is extremely large. I actually had a problem only with the levels of game play in terms of difficulty. I sitll say this. Micromanagement in RTS is of the past. Perhaps u should try LOTR: BFME then you will see what battles are all about. Or perhaps Dungeons and Dragons: Dragonshard. Now that has different battle dimensions.

[Sourabh]

edited the topic title from Development to Discussions. The thread has come a long way from the start.. Hope icecoolz doesnt mind

[icecoolz]

not at all Sourabh I should have thought of that myself thanks for the change

[Srijandeep Das]

here are a few cheats for AOE 3:


Cheats
Press ENTER and input the following codes for the decribed effects:

X marks the spot - Reveals map
Medium Rare Please - Stocks 10000 food
Give me liberty or give me coin - Stocks 10000 coin
Nova & Orion - Stocks 10000 XP
Speed always wins - Building rate doubled
Sooo Good - Random saying when killed by infantry
This is too hard - Clears current map in single player
tuck tuck tuck - Stocks monster truck in retail version
A recent study indicated that 100% of herdables are obese - All animals on map are fattened.

have fun!

[Srijandeep Das]

:[img][i]lol: It's the dawn of a new age in real-time strategy (RTS) games. A brave New World is rising – a hostile yet beautiful world, filled with innovative gameplay, new strategic scenarios, eye-searing graphics and much more.

Welcome to a world called Age of Empires III.

New Feature – Home Cities

Players have access to their own European Home City for economic, technological and military support. Your Home City's success depends on you, with your city's improvements retained between game.
at Ensemble Studios wanted to create the best-looking game ever. From the stunning water effects to the hundreds of units battling on-screen, you'll feel like you're a part of the action in the New World.

Tone mapping – This photo imaging technique balances the colors in a scene on the fly. The end result is a rich, warm game where bright colors are vibrantly rendered alongside darker counterparts, such as shadows.

Lighting and shadows – The sun is always shining in Age of Empires, so it's important that lighting and shadows be an awe-inspiring experience. Units and buildings cast shadows according to a real sun position, and even cast shadows on each other. High Dynamic Range rendering allows us to represent the shiny glints of sunlight that bounce off highly reflective surfaces.

Bump and specular mapping – Water glistens like water. Metal shines like metal. These advanced techniques serve to provide an extra level of rendering detail heretofore unseen in real-time strategy (RTS) gaming.

Water – We felt that portraying stunning, realistic water effects in the game was so important that we devoted a programmer to it full-time. You'll find the water rich with details like foam near the shore, accurately modeled water motion, flotsam in rivers and realistic water colors. Plus, reflections change with the viewing angle, the angle of sunlight and the motion of the water. The overall effect is breathtaking.

Cliffs & Riverbeds – Instead of just stretching terrain, we built a system to attach geometry to the terrain map to allow for realistic overhangs and steep cliffs, from areas like the American Southwest. This effect is supported on random maps too.

campaign:
In this action adventure tale of historical fiction, players take on the role of Morgan Black and his family, struggling against the hostile wilderness and a mysterious cult that's crept in from Europe.

In a series of 24 scenarios divided into three acts, Morgan Black and his descendants help the Aztecs resist conquest by Spanish conquistadors, pit the French against the British in the French and Indian War and help Simon Bolivar lead revolutions in South America.

combat:
Age of Empires III gives players an amazing amount of control over their side of the battlefield.

More to command – Not only are you in command of large and diverse armies of infantry, cavalry and artillery, but also Native American warriors, mercenaries and tall ships.

Multiple formations – You can assign different formations to your army for different strengths and weaknesses, or have the game automatically choose the most appropriate formation. Examples include:

Volley – ranged infantry, like musketeers, take turns firing at enemies ahead of them.
Charge – your soldiers walk, then run into combat. Cavalry wield sabers, and musketeers fix bayonets. This formation does tremendous damage but makes your soldiers more prone to injury.
Bombard – your soldiers protect the cannons, while the cannons shell enemy ranks. Available only when you have artillery in your army.
Battles are easier to follow – You can still command individual units. But when the units fight in formation, you'll be able to tell exactly who is winning the fight.

Real-time physics – Infantry struck by cannon fire will be thrown like rag dolls, perhaps even over a cliff and into the water. Cannonballs bounce and ricochet.

Detailed destructions – Shingles, shutters and whole towers may fly off a building and interact with the terrain, such as crashing into nearby water. This next generation effect is done on the fly so that each building always has a unique destruction, no matter how many times you see it.

Unique animations – With hundreds of unique combat animations, you'll never see the same battle twice.

home city:
This revolutionary new feature to the RTS landscape is incorporated into all aspects of Age of Empires III — from Campaign to Multiplayer — and is unlike anything you've experienced before.

Much like the persistent character from a role-playing game that encourages you to keep playing, your Home City is an important support system to your efforts in the New World. During a game, your Home City can regularly send you supplies or military reinforcements.

You are the leader of your colony, but your success brings glory back to Mother Europe. The more games you play, and the better you do, the more powerful your Home City will become. Every few games, you gain the ability to both upgrade and customize your Home City:

Upgrade your city by unlocking new types of soldiers or buildings, or improving those you already have.

Broaden your tech tree in whatever direction most fits your play style – invest in warships, native alliances, cavalry, artillery or economy.

Customize your Home City by changing the appearance of buildings, the weather or even the types of people who walk, work and perform in its streets.

Throughout a game, as well as in between games, you can visit your Home City to watch its citizens go about their lives, get an opinion on how you're doing, plot your next move or just marvel at the beautiful sunset.